Key support



R. C. LEGAT Oct. 8,- 1957 KEY SUPPORT Filed Feb. 21. 1955 IN VEN TOR.

ROBERTGLEGAT BY/ZZ;

H T TORNEYE' United States Patent H KEY SUPPORT Robert C. Legat, New Britain, Conn., assiguor to The G. E. Prentice Mfg. (10., Kensington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 21, 1955, Serial No. 489,437

7 Claims. (Cl. 70-456) This invention relates to improvements in key cases and, more particularly to the means for securing the key holding hooks in the case.

The invention has for its general object the provision of an improved key support of the type in which the key holding hooks are locked in position on a supporting member by a member slidably mounted on the supporting member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a key support of the indicated type which is reliable in operation and can be readily manufactured by simple methods and at minimum cost.

Other objects as well as the advantages and novel features of construction of the invention, will become apparent from a perusal of the followingdescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a front elevational View of my improved key support showing the same in unlocked condition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the arrangement of the parts when the key holding hooks are locked in position on the support;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

2 hook heads therethrough. The diameter of the key hook heads 16 is greater than the width of the narrower part of each slot 14 in the bead-like part so that such heads cannot be passed therethrough.

The upper ends of the slots 14 terminate substantially at the line of juncture of the upper rear edge of such beaded part 13 with an integral, flat plate portion 18 which is turned down to underlie such part and substantially closes longitudinally the area defined by the U-shaped bead-like part 13. Thus, 'theplate portion 18 forms a backing for the bead-like part 13 and protects the ma- Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom end view of Fig. 2 with the key holding hooks omitted.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates generally a portion of a key case which may be formed of leather, or the like, and which may have any suitable configuration. Secured to the key case portion 10 by fastening elements, such as rivets 11, is the key holding means of the present invention. The key holding means is composed of a supporting plate 12 which is fashioned from a sheet metal blank by suitable stamping operations. The supporting plate 12 is formed to provide a bead-like or forwardly bulged portion 13 extending along its upper edge throughout the entire length of such plate. The bead-like portion 13 is substantially U-shaped in crosssectional configuration and is provided with six transversely disposed slots or openings 14 arranged in equally spaced, parallel relation inwardly from the ends of such bead-like portion. The slots or openings have the form to inverted keyhole slots so that the portions thereof which are included in the beaded part of the plate have generally parallel vertically disposed sides, while the lower enlarged portions 15 thereof are connected with such upper portions at the juncture of the beaded part 13 of the plate with the planar body portion of the plate below its beaded portion and extend into the upper end of the latter as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. The enlarged portions 15 of the slots have a configuration substantially conforming to the exterior configuration of the heads 16 of the key hooks 17 to be inserted through such slots, but slightly greater in area than the cross-sectional area of such heads in order to permit ready insertion of the terial of the casing from wear which may be caused by the key hooks when the latter are inserted or removed from the key holding means and during the use of the key case. It will be noted from Figs. 3 and 4 that the plate portion 18 extends downwardly below the bead-like portion 13 and substantially to the upper edges of two elongated slots 19 provided in the body portion of the plate 12 between the enlarged portions 15 of the slots and the rivets 11 which secure such plate to the key case 10. The bottom part of plate portion 18 is in engagement with the rear surface of the body portion of plate 12 above the slots 19 which are disposed in spaced alignment and in spaced parallelism with the bottom surfaces of the U shaped sections 20 formed by the slots 14 in the bead-like portion 13.

Slidably mounted on the body portion of the supporting plate between the bead-like portion 13 and the slots 19 is a plate-like slide member 21. The slide member 21 is provided on its bottom edge with a pair of integral lugs 22, each of which is bent toextend rearwardly and downwardly from the slide member through a slot 19 and then downwardly to be in underlapped engagement with the body portion of the support plate below such slots 19. The slots 19 and the lugs 22 permit a limited degree of longitudinal sliding movement of the member 21 on the body portion of the supporting plate in a direction parallel to the longitudinal length of the bead-like portion 13. The slide member 21 extends upwardly to the juncture of the bead-like portion 13 with such body portion and at its upper end is rounded to conform with the curvature of such juncture and is slidably engaged therewith. The bottom sides of the sections 20 guide the upper edge of such slide 21 inits sliding movements. The slide member 21 is provided at its upper edge with a series of recesses 23, one for each slot 14, and arranged to register with each of the enlargements 15 when the slide member 21 is drawn to a retracted position as shownin Fig. 1 of the drawings. A plurality of the sections 20 of the bead-like portion 13, preferably the two end ones, each have a finger 24 cut out of the front face thereof and bent downwardly and inwardly so that the face end thereof engages the outer surface of the slide member 21 just below the lower ends of the recesses 23 thereof. The fingers 24 are rigid and together with the sections 20, slots 19 and lugs 22 hold the slide member 21 against movement away from the body portion of the supporting plate or any other movement except in a longitudinal direction. A finger piece 25 is provided at one end of the slide member 21 to be gripped by the user in manipulating such member.

It will be understood from the fingering description, that when the slide member 21 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the lugs 22 will be engaged with the left hand ends of the slots 19, as viewed in such figure, and the upper portions of the. slide member 21 between the recesses 23 will cover the slot enlargements 15 to an extent suificient to prevent passage of the heads 16 of the key hooks therethr ough. .The frictional resistanceagainst movement of the slide member caused by the engagement of the fingers 24 with such slide member, the engagement of such slide member with the front surface of the body portion of the supporting plate, and the engagement of the lugs 22 with the rear surface of such body portion, will hold such member insuch position and in any position to which it has been placed by the user until it is positively removed therefrom. When it is desired to remove a key hook from the bead-like portion 13, the user by grasping the finger piece 25, shifts the slide member to the,

right until the lugs 22 come into engagement with the right hand ends of the slots 19. With the slide member in this position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the recesses 23 in the upper end thereof will be in registration with the slot enlargements so. that passage of the key hook heads through the latter will be unobstructed. The heads 16 of the key hooks may then be removed or inserted in the bead-like member 13.

While I have disclosed herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the pending claims.

I claim:

1. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom, said elongated housing being provided with a plurality of transverse slots dividing said housing into a plurality of sections, said slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely inserted or removed and located at the juncture of said housing with the body portion of said plate below said housing and extending into the upper end of such body portion, a member located and slidably mounted on said body portion adjacently below said housing so that the bottom exterior surfaces of said sections serve as a guide for the upper edge of said member in the sliding movements of said member and so that such upper edge thereof covers said slot enlargements sufficiently to prevent passage of said key 'hook heads therethrongh in the closed position of said member, said member having recesses in the upper end thereof adapted to come into registration withsaid enlargements to enable the key hook heads to pass through the latter when said member is shifted to an open position, spaced means on a plurality of said sections for maintaining saidrmernber in sliding engagement with the body portion of said plate, and means located exteriorl'y of said housing and on said member and said body portion-coasting to guide said member in its sliding movements and to restrict the sliding movement of said memberto a predetermined range.

2. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated housing projecting forwardly therefrom, said elongated housingbeing provided with a plurality of transverse slots dividing said housing into a plurality of sections, said slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key books may be freely inserted or removed and located at the juncture of said housing with the body portion of said plate below said housing and extending into the ,upper end of the latter, .a plate member slidably mounted on said body portion adjacent to said housingso that the latter serves as a guide for the upper edge of-said member in the sliding movements of said member and so that such upper edge thereof covers said slot enlargements sufficiently to prevent passage of said keyhook heads therethrough in the closed position of said member, said member having recesses in the upper end thereof adapted to come into registration with said enlargements to enable the key hook heads to pass through the latter when said member is shifted toan open position, a pair of spaced, aligned elongated openings in said, body portion adjacent to and extending inparallelism with the lower edge of saidslide member, a pair of lugs integral with said slide member and extending-through said openings into engagement'with the rear surface of saidvbody portion, saidlugs and openings enacting to maintain saidslidemember. in

proper position on said plate and to limit the sliding movement of said member to a position where the upper edge of the latter covers said enlargements and to a position where the recesses thereof are in registration with said enlargements, and a plurality of fingers formed out of the material of a plurality of said housing sections and bent so that the free ends thereof engage the outer surface of said slide member, said fingers maintaining said member in sliding engagement with the body portion of said plate.

'3. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated tubularlyshaped portion projecting forwardly therefrom and having a plate portion extending along a side'of such tubular portion, said tubular portion being provided with a plurality of transverse slots dividing the forwardly projecting part thereof into a plurality of spaced sections, said slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely inserted or removed and located at the juncture of said tubular portion with said plate portion, a member located exteriorly of said tubular portion and slidably mounted on said plate portion so that the exterior surfaces of said sections serveas a guide for one edge of saidmember in the sliding movements of said member and so that said edge covers said slot enlargements sufliciently to prevent passage of key hook heads therethrough in the closed position of said member, said edge of said member having recesses therein adapted to come into registration with said enlargements to enable the key hook heads to pass through the latter when said member is shifted to .an open position, coactive means on said supporting plate and on said member operable to guide said member in its sliding movements and to restrict the sliding movement of said member to a predetermined range, said coactive means being constructed and arranged to maintain. said member in proper sliding engagement with said plate portion.

4. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated tubularlyshaped portion projecting forwardly therefrom and having a fiat plate portion offset from and extending .along a side of such tubular portion, said tubular portion being provided with a plurality of transverse slots dividing'the forwardly projecting part thereof into a plurality of spaced sections, said slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely inserted or removed and located at the juncture of said tubular portion with said plate portion, a substantially flat member located exteriorly of said tubular portion and slidably mounted on said oifset plate portion so that the exterior surfaces of said sections serve as a guide for one edge of said'memher in the sliding movements of said memberrand so that said edge covers said slot enlargements sufiiciently-to pre vent passage of key hook heads therethrough in the closed position of said member, said edge of said member being offset from the body portion thereof and having recesses therein adaptedto come into registration with said enlargements to enable the key hook 'heads to pass through the enlargements-when said member is shifted to an open position, guide means on said supporting plate fixed relative to the latter, guide means on said member fixedrelative to the latter, said guide means being coactive toguide said member in its sliding movements and to restrict the sliding movement of said member to a predetermined range, said coactive' means engaging opposing surfaces of said member and plate portion to maintain said member in proper slidingengagement with said plate portion.

5. A key support fora key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated tubularlyshaped portion projecting forwardly therefrom and having a plate portion extending along a side of such tubular portion, said tubular portion being provided with a plurality of transverse slotsdividing the forwardly projecting part thereof into aplurality of spaced sections, said slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely inserted or removed and located at the juncture of said tubular portion with said plate portion, a member located exteriorly of said tubular portion and slidably mounted on said plate portion so that the exterior surfaces of said sections serve as a guide for one edge of said member in the sliding movements of said member and so that said edge covers said slot enlarg'ements sufficiently to prevent passage of key hook heads therethrough in the closed position of said member, said edge of said member having recesses therein adapted to come into registration with said enlargements to enable the key hook heads to pass through the latter when said member is shifted to an open position, coactive means on said supporting plate and on said member operable to guide said member in its sliding movements and to restrict the sliding movement of said member to a predetermined range, said coactive means being constructed and arranged to maintain said member in proper sliding engagement with said plate portion and including an elongated opening in said plate portion offset with relation to said housing and extending in parallelism with the latter, a lug connected to said slide member and extending through said opening and being formed to slidably engage the rear surface of said plate portion.

6. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supportting plate having an elongated tubularlyshaped portion projecting forwardly therefrom and having a plate portion extending along a side of such tubular portion, said tubular portion being provided with a plurality of transverse slots dividing the forwardly projecting part thereof into a plurality of spaced sections, said slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely inserted or removed and located at the juncture of said tubular portion with said plate portion, a member located exteriorly of said tubular portion and slidably mounted on said plate portion so that the exterior surfaces of said sections serve as a guide for one edge of said member in the sliding movements of said member and so that said edge covers said slot enlargements sufliciently to prevent passage of key hook heads therethrough in the closed position of said member, said edge of said member having recesses therein adapted to come into registration with said enlargements to enable the key hook heads to pass through the latter when said member is shifted to an open position, coactive means on said supporting plate and on said member operable to guide said member in its sliding movements and to restrict the sliding movement of said member to a predetermined range, said coactive means being constructed and arranged to maintain said member in proper sliding engagement with said plate portion and including a device connected to a section of said housing intermediate the ends of such section and extending from such section to a position overlying said slide member, said device slid ably engaging the exterior surface of said slide member and preventing movement of said member away from said plate portion.

7. A key support for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having an elongated tubularlyshaped portion projecting forwardly therefrom and having a plate portion extending along a side of such tubular portion, said tubular portion being provided with a plurality of transverse slots dividing the forwardly projecting part thereof into a plurality of spaced sections, said slots having enlarged portions through which the heads of key hooks may be freely inserted or removed and located at the juncture of said tubular portion with said plate portion, a member located exteriorly of said tubular portion and slidably mounted on said plate portion so that the exterior surfaces of said sections serve as a guide for one edge of said member in the sliding movements of said member and so that said edge covers said slot enlargements sufliciently to prevent passage of key hook heads therethrough in the closed position of said member, said edge of said memberhaving recesses therein adapted to come into registration with said enlargements to enable the key hook heads to pass through the latter when said member is shifted to an open position, an elongated opening in said plate portion adjacently offset from the other side edge of said slide member and extending in parallelism with the longitudinal axis of such member, a lug connected to said slide member and extending through said opening into engagement with the rear surface of said plate portion, said lug and opening coacting to maintain said slide member in proper position on said plate and to limit the sliding movement of said member to a position where the recessed edge thereof covers said slot enlargements and to a position where the recesses thereof are in registration with said enlargements, and a finger connected to and extending from a section of said housing into engagement with the outer surface of said slide member to maintain said member in engagement with said plate portion during its sliding movements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,648,216 Hanna Aug. 11, 1953 

